So it seems like I may be one of the only Clevelanders who didn’t know I could get popchips at Target and Heinen’s, huh? That’s probably because I do most of my shopping at the grocery store right at the end of my street. You know, God forbid I actually have to get in my car and drive to the store (I usually just walk!).

But here’s your winner:

Sura!!! Congrats, girl! Now you don’t have to look all over Maine since they’ll be coming directly to your front door.

Anyways, I was thinking this afternoon how my blog has gotten away from the running aspect lately. I know there’s not much I can do until my ankle heals (I have a doctor appointment tomorrow!), but it’s still a bummer.

One good thing is that I was able to wear my tennis shoes today:

I haven’t been able to wear anything but flip flops in almost 2 weeks!

You can definitely tell the right ankle is still swollen (and the shoe is tied a lot looser), but that’s OK. At least I got it on semi-comfortably. Progress, people.

Tomorrow I plan on swimming again (as long as the doc says it’s ok!). This will be my 4th time in the pool. It’s a miracle, but I haven’t drown yet! I have to build up my endurance because training for the NYC marathon is supposed to start mid-July (crap!). Please pray to the running gods that I’m all healed by then, k? Thanks.

Do you feel like your blog stays true to it’s name? Or do you veer from the main topic often and not care?

I’m a huge fan of snacks. In fact, I love them and don’t go a day without a substantial afternoon snack. I’m always looking for new and healthy ideas, otherwise I get bored and end up eating something of J’s or C’s, which is not normally the best choice.

I had always heard about Popchips but never had an opportunity to try them until I went to Fitbloggin. I brought a few bags home with me, too, and the boys fell IN LOVE with them. C was especially bummed since I can never find them around here to buy. But he was in luck because I was sent a whole months supply of Popchips just for going to Fitbloggin!

He was only a little excited.

So excited that he started to cut open the box before realizing that the front just pops off:

Not sure where he gets his impatience from. Hehe.

The best thing about Popchips is that they’re pretty healthy for a “chip”. C LOVES chips (what 9 year old doesn’t?), but I refuse to give them to him as a snack or in his lunch. I don’t tell him he’s not allowed to eat them when we’re at a picnic, on vacation, or at someone else’s house, but I also don’t buy them as a snack for our house.

So Popchips are the perfect alternative!

What’s even better is that Popchips offered to give one of YOU a month’s supply, too! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. That’s it (deadline is tomorrow at 5:30pm).  I’ll announce the winner in tomorrow night’s post.

Have you tried Popchips?? What’s your favorite flavor? Mine’s definitely the sea salt and vinegar, but C loves the sour cream & onion and J likes the bbq. We’re all over the place.

Today was a great day. It’s about time I’ve had one of these!

Granted, I didn’t get to sweat today, but I did get to walk about a mile! I know that is nothing to mostly everyone, but it is HUGE to me. I’d be lying if I said my ankle wasn’t aching a little bit now, but it felt so good just to walk (with a slight limp, of course – poor Kimi had to walk down Detroit with a gimp!).

Where did we walk?

To Deagan’s!

The inside of the restaurant is very warm and inviting – I love love love the exposed brick.

But I’ve found the food to just be so so for brunch (been there twice). I really need to make it back for Taco Tuesdays because I simply adored the shrimp tacos that were served at the Silver Spoon event!

Since J was out of town this weekend golfing his little heart out:

I thought I’d have a little fun of my own at a little store called Lululemon.

Holy moly, this store is dangerous. For realz. They have so much stuff that’s not offered online!! I somehow managed to only buy one pair of shorts and one tank top, but I will definitely be back.

Luckily the store is on the other side of town or I could be in serious trouble!

Kimi and I also had an intense debate over who is hotter: Mr. Bradley Cooper or Mr. Ryan Reynolds. She already recapped it on her blog – you have to check it out!

How was your Sunday? Did you sweat today? And who would you pick: Brad or Ryan?

I really hate to be a downer all the time. In fact, I try to eliminate those type of people from my life because I feel like they bring me down with them and I don’t like that feeling. I like to be happy. I know that sounds so simple, but it’s not as easy as it sounds (as least not for me!).

The past two weeks have been one struggle after another. So it’s been real hard for me to stay positive lately. J is a firm believer that things happen for a reason so I’m really trying to adapt his philosophy. Gotta be honest, it’s not that easy for me.

So, in an effort to turn my mood around, instead of staying home again tonight and moping for the fifth night in a row (mostly due to my sprained ankle), I decided to take my chances at the pool. My ankle is still swollen and bruised and ugly, but it’s definitely getting better every day!

This has to be the absolute worst picture I’ve EVER posted on the blog, btw.

I didn’t have high hopes for the workout, I just needed to move. I made a deal with myself that I would not kick my right foot and if it hurt AT ALL I would stop and go home.

So this was the plan:

I pulled this workout off someone’s blog a week or so ago, but I can’t remember who. I’m sorry if it was you, just let me know and I’ll give you credit – promise!

I felt pretty great and barely felt any pain in my foot! But, needless to say, that 600 did not happen. I know by now when not to push too hard and call it quits.

And by the time I got home I swear to you my foot was the least it’s been swollen in a week. Both J and C made comments about it. Maybe the water helped? I don’t know, but it made me a happy girl!!

So things are definitely looking up. My best friend is supposed to come visit tomorrow and I have plans with this fantastic lady this weekend. I feel like things are turning around. Fingers crossed!

What about you? Do you believe that things happen for a reason?

Sigh……………

Nothing will hold this pup back.

He’s so determined – check it out for yourself:

Have a great night!

Hey! Thanks for all the well wishes on yesterday’s post. I guess I should have mentioned that I was reaching to catch a ball C had thrown and just happened to step back right where the driveway is uneven causing my ankle to roll and me to fall. I fell to the ground so hard and fast that I don’t really even remember it (I’m pretty much the most ungraceful person you’ll ever meet). I honestly thought I’d be much better by today, but I’m still hobbling around with a ridiculously swollen leg and foot. Which brings me to this:

How do you deal?

Right now I can’t teach, I can’t run, I can’t swim, I can’t even walk! Most of the time I have to sit or lay with my foot elevated and ice on it. No exercise = a very crabby and unhappy Heather. It keeps me sane. Even when I don’t have time for an intense workout I at least get a nice walk with the dogs in.

I try to move at least once a day. But now what? Now what do I do?

Sure, I can lift free weights (which I have been doing), but even then I’m limited because I can’t put any weight on my right foot. It’s just not the same.

Things are just out of my control right now and I’m having a hard time dealing. I don’t like not being in control.

So, help me out! How do you de-stress when you can’t exercise? What helps you cope (that doesn’t involve food because, remember, I’m not exercising!)?

How do you deal?

Hey, kids! Gosh, it really feels like it’s been forever since I blogged last. I had planned on blogging last Thursday, but then this happened while I was playing catch with C:

But that’s just my left leg. Not too bad considering what my right ankle looked likes.

It started off like this:

See the bump on the outside?

Well, that grew to this by the time I went to bed Thursday:

Better view:

Which landed me here Friday afternoon:

Because my entire ankle and lower leg started to swell:

And now I’m on these for two to three weeks:

Luckily it’s not broken, just a bad sprain. But the doctor said that it’s going to bruise and swell pretty bad before it gets any better. She wasn’t kidding:

Hello, sausage toes!

I guess my PT doesn’t have to worry about me resting my IT band for the next few weeks – now I have no choice!! I’m not even allowed to drive until the swelling goes down!

It’s definitely been an interesting couple days. Poor J. He has to help me with everything.

So I’m sure today wasn’t his ideal Father’s Day but he’s been such a trooper. I gave him a Father’s Day “rain check” that he can cash in when I get better (which I know he’ll be sure to use!). Both him and my dad were so nice to understand the lack of cards they received today.

I love them both so much.

You guys are the best. Happy Fathers Day to two of the best men I know. Love you!!!

Have you ever broken a body part? Luckily I’ve only sprained my ankle (twice now) – no broken bones for me!

Unfortunately, the past few days haven’t really felt like summer in Cleveland. But, fortunately, there are many things that have me in summer, summer, summertime mode!

Baseball games:

Fresh summer salads:

Cookouts:

Bike rides to the lake:

Sunburn (#sunscreenfail – I swear to you I had it on!)

(and total lack of cleavage, btw………sigh…..)

How do you know when it’s summer?

Hey kids! Happy Sunday night!

Friday J and I tried a new workout.

Swimming!

I’ve been researching alternative workouts lately for a few reasons:

1. I’m on a running hiatus due to “operation heal IT Band 100%”
2. It’s no secret that I’ve gained a few (10!) lbs this winter due to my injury and some other factors that I’m not quite comfortable sharing on the blog (at least not yet)
3. I MUST get back to race weight before training for NYC begins!

The Lakewood High School pool has adult hours for only $2.50, and the rain cancelled our bike ride plans, so we figured why not.

We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We didn’t even have goggles and had to borrow them from the pool’s lost and found!

Hehe.

The lifeguard told us that 70 laps is roughly a mile and we both thought “no problem!”.

Ha! Yeah, right! I could only swim 3 lengths of the pool before having to take a break to catch my breath. J could swim 2 lengths and then breast stroke or back stroke the third before taking a break.

Running endurance does not equal swimming endurance. Trust me.

So it didn’t take us long to change our goal from 70 laps to 35.

My heart rate would spike for those three laps, I’d let it recover for about 2 to 3 minutes, and then go again. If we hadn’t been wet already, I know we both would have been sweaty messes. It was quite the interval workout!

This picture makes me laugh because I could see J taking these pictures and I knew I looked like a crazy person and almost choked every time I took a breath:

Note to self: buy a swim cap asap.

It was fun to try something new and challenge ourselves to an unfamiliar workout. Next time I’m determined to swim four laps before taking a breather.

Try before you cry, right?

Oh, and the winner of the Bondi Bands is:

Sarena!!!! Email your address to mile26andmore at yahoo dot com and I’ll get them out to you! Congrats!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Did you try any new workouts?

Yesterday was C’s last day of 3rd grade.

I still can’t believe it. I have a 4th grader. Man, I am OLD.

Check out what a difference a year makes.

First day of 3rd grade:

Last day:

He looks older, right?

What’s more important, though, is how much he has grown this year. Not in height, but in his attitude and personality. I really enjoy the person he is becoming and am super proud of the way he conducts himself.

The teacher gave each of the students a word (or two) she thought described them and she used “humor” and “empathy” for C. I immediately asked him if he knew what empathy was and he told me it meant that he tries to cheer up the other kids when he notices they are down (close enough). Then he further explained that he doesn’t like when the other kids are upset or sad so he tries to make them laugh or feel better. Seriously, I couldn’t have been more proud (still am!).

I’m so lucky to have such a great kid that I can trust. I truly enjoy his company!!! It just seems to keep getting better the older he gets (I’m trying not to think about the teenage years yet – hehe).

I can’t wait to see what the next year brings. I’m looking forward to it!

Do you remember 4th grade? I remember that I had my first “real” boyfriend and we wore those broken heart shaped necklaces (he wore half and I wore the other!).

p.s. You have until tomorrow at 5:00pm to enter my Bondi Band giveaway!